


All That's Left

by rubyflakes



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Happy ending?? MaYbE???, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-16 10:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19316125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubyflakes/pseuds/rubyflakes
Summary: The Radiance's influence is gone, but nobody has figured out why. The Hollow Knight is freed at last, finally able to search for his King. But, what happens when he doesn't find him?





	1. The Beginning of an End

**Author's Note:**

> okay so basically i have a vague idea of what i want to write so that's probably a bad thing. also, first fic so yeehaw. also english isn't my native language, so my writing isn't really fluid or correct i guess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where it all began.  
> Where it all ended.

Hornet stood near the Black Egg's entrance, patiently waiting for the knight, who deemed himself worthy of being called King of these lands.

In the corner of her eye, one by one, she witnessed orange sprouts of infection fading in color. The sudden change of composition alerted her. As the red-cloaked huntress approached the wall, formerly amber-colored branches turned into a black hue, before fully moldering away.

  
Surely, it was a great thing for the kingdom. Now free of the rotting light, bugs, even though only a few were left, could live with ease.

She could leave the kingdom without any regrets.

That idea hung around in her mind for a long time, but she never paid much attention to it. Now though, she has the opportunity to leave, but could she ever? What if her memories and mind get blown away by the winds outside of Hallownest? Even if they didn't, Hornet still couldn't leave. She is the protector of this kingdom, after all. As much as she'd want to leave.. she just couldn't. And that was her final decision. She will stay for the few bugs that are still out there.

Hornet was relieved to see the infection gone, her shoulders relaxing before stiffening again.

How?

The question plagued her, thoughts clouding her mind.  
There was only a few known ways to end the disease, but all of them required entering the temple. As far as her knowledge went, Hornet didn't notice anything come in or out of the sacred building.

  
Has her vision missed it? The thought pondered in her head, before she quickly dismissed it. It was impossible.  
Hornet arrived at the plague's place of containment the moment the Black Egg has opened.  
It didn't help answering the remaining question.

How? How could it happen?

Before Hornet could wander into deep thinking again, a quiet rattling of chains echoed around the hallway. She gazed at the dark entrance, formerly covered in orange fog. The pitch black corridor seemed like it didn't have an end, but then she saw a white glow spread around the walls and the floor.

The slight lighting helped her see something in the dark.  
A tall silhouette emerged from the shadows, slowly making it's way through the hall. It bumped into the white-marked walls, before regaining it's composure and continuing to get closer.

  
The Beast's child immediately recognized the figure. It's spiked horns almost touching the ceiling, the tattered cloak that hung around their void-like body, the big pure nail in their only arm.  
It was them.

An object, who proved that they weren't just another mistake. A vessel, who was deemed worthy of the title hollow. A child, who was raised by the Pale King himself.  
It was them.

The Hollow knight.

Relief washed over Hornet as she saw her half-sibling doing just fine. Well, as fine as you could call a bug with only one arm, who was locked inside a temple for years, watching the plague leak out of them.

  
But she couldn't let her guard down, ever, even if it was her family.  
The knight approached the entrance, becoming weaker with each step. When it reached the exit, it had barely enough strength to keep standing. Upon looking up, it saw a stranger bug guarding their only path to freedom.

The vessel tried straightening up to seem taller, as if it wasn't tall enough before. It used all the strength they had left in them to tighten the grip on their weapon.

The Gendered Child noticed the sudden change, grabbing the needle behind her back and taking a defensive stance.

She didn't want to fight the knight, but Hornet didn't know what they wanted or how they would act, so fighting was the only option.  
Before the Hollow Knight could take another step towards Hornet, their legs gave out and they collapsed to the hard ground.


	2. Embrace the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The God of Gods goes into the real world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how do people write 1000 words wtf i dont understand

Her frail form shook violently, as black substance flowed out of her carapace. Her eyes were void of any emotion, letting the stream of dark fluid come out.

Trembling, similar to a delicate, fragile leaf, her rich colors started to fade in hue, leaving the Godseeker coal-black. Dark tentacles rapidly crawled out of her shell, clawing at the ground and trying to move forward.

The Godseeker fell her to knees, her feeble arms too weak to support the weight. She whimpered in pain, laying still on the solid ground, until her consciousness fully slipped away.

  
The junk beneath her figure, being absorbed by the void, faded into dust. Black fluid mixed with the dirty teal water of the Junk Pit, before it turned into a pitch black as well. In a few minutes, the whole place was leaking with void.

Suddenly, the void mass began to move. A colossal form got up from the floor, formerly full of rubbish, now full of nothing but blackness. They were so giant that their horns barely touched the ceiling. They rose one of their arms to the head to cease the pulsing pain. Opening their first pair of eyes, the other three opened on instinct. Huh..? Did they have.. Eight eyes?

  
They looked at everything around them, at the Fungal Wastes in the background, at the rocky roof, at the void of any color floor, at their.. Other three arms. When could they had grown up so much? Now that they thought about it, where were they, anyways? How did they get here? Was it The Abyss? This place was so dark..

  
Memories flooded their mind, they recalled.. fighting.. and the holy gold halls, and the relaxing soul liquid, just like in the hot springs.. and the pantheons.

  
Godhome.

  
They remembered Godhome.

They remembered the orange blood flowing out of their foes.

  
Orange.

They remembered orange. They remembered Her. The Radiance.  
No.

  
It was the Absolute Radiance.

  
They remembered the void going up and fusing together, gaining form, focus. They remembered the void scratching at her, trying to get a good grip. They remembered their razor-sharp fingers clawing at her face, her screams echoing around the realm, her glowing light fading away.

They scratched at their head, searching for their shell, their vessel, their body, but it was never found. All that was present is void. What were they going to do? Where would they go? Their purpose, their whole reason of creation was to erase The Radiance. 

No matter how much void, or shades of their siblings fused with them, they still had a mind. They wanted to keep exploring, keep traveling, keep meeting new bugs.

They wanted to keep living. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have a cliffhanger lol. criticism accepted as always  
> hope you enjoyed!


	3. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up in an unfamiliar place.

Steadily regaining their consciousness, their eyesight focused on the stony ceiling, much different than the one in the Black Egg temple.

A wave of warm water washed over their body, like a soft blanket, protecting them from any further harm. Fragment by fragment, they started recollecting their memories.

  
They recalled the loneliness of being locked up in the Black Vault, the sharp pain of the Light itself inside them, the sickness spilling right out of their damaged body, the cries of bugs who gave in to the epidemic.

Why weren't they in the sacred temple? They were supossed to be there, had to be there, and yet, they weren't. They had to keep in the plague, and yet, they didn't. They failed, just like all the other vessels before them. They were no better. They were doomed to fail the moment He chose them.

He.

They remembered Him. Was He going to punish them? Get rid of them? Throw them and the memories, moments they shared together back into the Abyss?  
The Abyss, where thousands of other failures rested idly?

Of course, they belonged in their birthplace, they were now a failure as well, just like the other vessels.  
But they weren't in the Abyss. Yet.

This, this place, it didn't feel or look like their place of creation. The faint glow of water underneath them lightened up the already bright room. The water itself wasn't anything like the cold liquid of void, it was gentle, delicate to touch, and it felt hot. It felt safe. They were safe.

  
Their mind flooded with fresh thoughts, that they were keeping to themselves for so long. No, this is wrong. They weren't supposed to be thinking, and yet, they couldn't stop the flow.

One thought in particular had them alerted.

Where is He?

They thought for a little, the fluid under them trying to help them relax.  
Nothing could've happened to him this whole time, could it? He was powerful, he was a holy being, a Wyrm, a God. Surely, He was alright, wasn't He?

Dread filled them, anxiety clawing at their stomach. They had to find Him.

  
Quickly, the Hollow Knight shot up from their laying position, the water beneath them pulsing with movement.

Immediately regretting it, they held their arm up to ease the throbbing pain in their shell, but it didn't help that much. Their touch didn't sense the presence of their crack anymore, relief washing over them. It must have been the healing properties of the Hot Springs.

The vessel started looking around, the sensation of pain beginning to feel distant. First thing they noticed was a figure hunched over a bench, their weapon resting near them. Their head shape was a little similar to the knight's, but they didn't pay much mind to it. Their carmine cloak contrasted with the dull blue of the rocky room they were in.

A memory made it's way into the Hollow Knight's mind.

A memory, of the orange illness fading away, of the chains they were locked up in for ages breaking, of the faint white glow the markings produced on the forever-black hallway, of the light at the end of it, of their path to freedom, of their exit.

  
Of a bug guarding it. A bug with a weapon behind their back, with a defensive stance and a hunter's look in their eyes, a bug with a red cloak and a tight grip on their needle. And then, then they remembered nothing.

It was surely the same bug from before. They hadn't hurt the vessel. Yet. Why were they here with them? In this place, that is supposed to be safe? Had they followed them, or took them here?  
Perhaps, He sent them, to punish the knight, to obliterate them, to cease their existence.

The vessel, being too focused on their speculations, haven't noticed the bug standing up, haven't noticed them stare.

"You're awake."


	4. Mind Intruder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They needed answers.

Hornet stared at the void being sitting in the Hot Springs. The hollowed, void eyes stared right back at her.

"You're awake," she began, making her way to the vessel, "sibling!" exclaiming, she ran up to them with something akin to childish excitement in her voice. The knight flinched away. At their sides, she saw their fists slightly shaking. Were they scared? They probably thought Hornet was going to land an attack, which, of course, she wasn't, since she noticed the vessel searching the room for their weapon.

"If you are looking for your nail," she glanced back to the bench, the weapon's handle positioned on the pew, "although, there is no need," Hornet spoke with a soothing voice, "I haven't brought you here to land any harm upon, only to attend to your wounds."

The knight looked at her with relief(?), at least, from what she could tell. Their fists stopped trembling, that's for sure. It wasn't easy trying to decipher emotions of a being without any facial features. Their stance continued to be something of cautious, as if it made a wrong move, Hornet would surely land a hit, which, of course, she wouldn't.

"Sibling," she began slowly, "do you.. know me?" Hornet looked up at their face with an expression full of hope, the Hollow Knight returting the stare. They looked like they were examining, inspecting her. They hesitated for a moment, only then their head shaking in disagreement. 

Of course, it was silly hoping that the vessel would know or remember Hornet. They were probably locked up in the Black Egg the moment she was born. The huntress figured it's better to introduce herself, then.

"I'm Hornet," she spoke, extending one of her hands, "I spend my time protecting this sacred land." The vessel glanced at her hand, before stretching out their own and slowly shaking it. The Hollow Knight had manners, she noted. Obviously being raised by the King left an impact on the vessel.

A single thought of Him made her blood boil, and her fists clenching. No, she had to calm down, she couldn't lose her temper infront of her sibling. They needed her help, not her anger. Speaking of them, they probably noticed the change in Hornet, but didn't mention it. It's not like they could.

Hornet approached closer, taking a seat in the water near the Hollow Knight. Their reflections looked right back at the both of them. The red-cloaked bug was about to relax, when she could hear faint whispers in her mind. Hornet shook her head. Perhaps she was just too tired.

She tried to loosen up again, only now the whispers came back much louder. Was something trying to speak to her? If it was, it definitely wasn't working. She couldn't make out the hushed words, they didn't make proper sense. That is, until:

« _Me, is.. Me.. Hornet... Hear me..?»_

Her form immediately tensed up, eyes searching for the intruder, owner of the words. Was she going crazy? There wasn't anyone in the room, except her and.. Could that be truly possible?

She glared at the Hollow Knight's form, hunched over the water. Seeing them so close in detail made her realize a few things: the crack on their shell, that she first saw back at the temple, was gone. The knight seemed to look much better now, although they still looked so.. worn out.

"Was that you?" Hornet asked quietly, the knight's head immediately perking up, "You could speak? This whole time?" They weren't actually speaking, she noted. The voice wasn't coming out of the vessel's mouth. It's not like they had a mouth in the first place. Instead, there were many voices talking to her, in her mind.

The knight lowered his head in shame at Hornet's question. Of course, they were ashamed of not being truly hollow. How else could the Radiance's influence make it's return? But she didn't care about that now. The spider-bug hybrid took the Hollow Knight's hand in her own, noting the tension in their figure coming back.

"Please, sibling," she spoke soothingly, "I'm not judging you. Speak to me. Are you alright?" Her tone wasn't demanding, it was more of a suggestion. The knight's muscles seemed to relax again, turning their head back towards their sibling. 

The whispers remade their way into Hornet's head, only this time the words were much clearer.

_«I.. Okay... Hornet can hear.. Me... Okay.»_ _  
_

Although the sentence seemed finished, it still felt.. undone. The whispers didn't disappear this time, although they did get quieter, and then louder again, and then they were silent. Was her companion hesitating?

"Sibling," Hornet spoke softly, rubbing her thumb against their hand, "Do not be afraid. I would be glad to answer your question."

The Hollow Knight felt reassured, all the uncertainty, hesitation gone from their form. The whispers turned into voices, so loud and so clear it seemed the words were coming out of their mouth.

_«Where.. is He? Dear King? Where?»_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my excuse for making thk talk is that the void in the abyss somehow called out to the lighthouse keeper, and since the knight is 50% void i thought i'd do this


	5. Sweet Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They don't want the truth. Who does?

The Hollow Knight waited for Hornet to answer the question that has been plaguing their mind the moment they woke up. What was taking her so long? The bug said she would be happy to answer the question. Perhaps, she didn't know the answer, just like them? 

The rubbing motion Hornet was doing with her thumb abruptly stopped, her shoulders tensing up. She removed her own hand from the vessel's, the latter getting upset at the loss of such comforting contact. 

Seconds passed, and then a minute. It felt like forever to them. Although, they wouldn't be wrong. Time in Hallownest was a strange thing. Finally, they heard the bug near them speak:

"Dear.." she repeated the words the knight told her, "How  _dare_ you speak of _Him_  with such care." She asked. No, it wasn't a question. It was more of an accusation. The Hollow Knight tilted their head, wondering what was so wrong with caring about their creator. 

"You wonder where that _coward_ has gone?" Hornet spat the words like they were venom on her tongue, the knight wincing at her tone. "When his kingdom, his  _people_ needed him the most, craved his aid, your Dear King," she snarled, standing up from her place in the springs, "disappeared."

No, no.. That.. That wasn't right. But, before the hollowed being could continue their thinking, they were interrupted.

"He  _ran_ off, far beyond his own kingdom! His own  _home!_ He  _hid_ away! He abandoned everyone, left everyone to shrivel up and die of the infection!" Hornet snapped, glaring at the knight. 

The infection wasn't His fault, the Hollow Knight knew that. How could Hornet not know that? It was so obvious. But that wasn't the main focus. They couldn't believe that Dear King would simply vanish. He would have never left His people on their own.

« _No! That's a lie! I know my King.. I know that he wouldn't!»_

The voices desperately called out to the red cloaked bug, praying for her to stop lying. But Hornet only half listened, anger consuming her rational thinking.

"You know it's not!" she cried out, hoping, _begging_ for her sibling to grasp the concept of the Pale Wyrm being imperfect, not as good as He seemed to be, "How can you still be so loyal? How can you still believe in Him? After all he's done? To us, to you?" Hornet shouted, her voice echoing around the room.

What was she talking about? What did she  _mean?_ His King never harmed his objects, never harmed the vessel. Before the pure being could call out to their sister, she spoke ahead of them:

"He hurt us! He hurt you, our siblings, our  _family!_ He hurt  _EVERYONE!"_ she gritted her teeth, her frail form twitching with fury, "He betrayed his  _own_ people!"

The Hollow Knight abruptly got up from the healing water, droplets flying in every direction from the impact. They straightened up, stood taller, as if that would make them more convincing.

« ** _No! You're lying! Liar! You're wrong! Can't be true, can't be right! You know nothing, anything, I know Him! I'll prove it, to you.. I'm going to find Him... You'll see.._** »

The voices in her mind screamed, words mixing with each other, sentences barely making any sense.

"Then go!" Hornet cried out, with what energy she had left, " _Go!_ Go, prove me wrong!" she longed for the knight to understand, to accept the truth, "You'll see."

The Hollow Knight swiftly grabbed their nail from the bench, their figure slightly shaking. They stormed out into the dark, long, stony hallway. Hornet could feel the voices in her head fading out, turning back into whispers. She could barely hear them, and yet, some words were crystal clear.

« _Prove.. Find you... Find the truth...»_

_«Father...»_


	6. Dive into the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They didn't enjoy having to return to their birthplace over and over again.

Lord of Shades sat in the pool of dark liquid, theorizing on what they were going to do now. They observed their new body, fresh thoughts coming to their mind.

Everything was so.. _different_. It was different being a gigantic, powerful being. They were more familar with their normal, small, fragile form.

They could not travel, explore around like this, simply could not  _live_ like this. It was so unusual to be strong. They grew quite accustomed to swinging their pure nail, which is probably deep in the void pit.  

The giant needed,  _craved_ for a holder, a new body, but their shell was no where to be seen in the black lake. They weren't ungrateful for their power, no. They just had no idea what to do with it.

With their vessel taken captive by the liquid, they had no shell to be contained within. Their form full of despair, they looked around the dark room, trying to figure out another way.

Dark..

That's it! The Abyss! It had many unused bodies to choose from. The Shade Lord tried to remember their messy scribbling on the Hallownest's map. If their memory wasn't tricking them, (and it probably was), the Ancient Basin was right beneath the pit they were in. 

They could try travelling down again, through the small hallways and a bunch of dead bug corpses, but they were afraid that they were too big, and that it would just take too long. They weren't known for being patient much.

The black behemoth stretched their arms out, one by one, their claws latched onto the ground, dirt pieces flying everywhere. The black substance flowed down into the hole.

They could feel the ground beneath them shaking, but they didn't pay much mind to it. As long as they kept digging, they didn't care about anything. The giant descended into the hard crust, making their way down.

Mining surely took a while, but soon enough the void being arrived at their place of destination. Their body fell down right onto the Monarch structure, breaking it into fragments. 

Another reason why they needed a vessel.

The Shade Lord barely could squeeze through the small hallway, the stony roof trying to give up on them a few times. They were sure they were going to get stuck, but soon their eyes fell upon a big room. An arena, they realized. 

Although, it was blazing with The Radiance's influence no more. It was dark and just as quiet as the rest of the Ancient Basin. They spared a glance at their sibling, their broken shell resting on the ground.

The giant shook their head. There was no time to grieve, they had to keep going, keep descending. And so they did, they moved on with their journey. Their hands got stuck in the holes in the ground, but it wasn't that much of a bother. There wasn't any significant obstacles on their path.

That is, until they reached a sea. A sea full of sharp, deadly spikes. The behemoth stopped in their tracks, trying to figure out a solution. They had no option to use Crystal Heart anymore, it got swallowed up by the dark water, just like the rest of their souvenirs, which they used through their travels so much. And all their charms, that they worked so hard to get. Except one, that was imprinted on them. The Void Heart.

Mourning over their lost items wouldn't help them cross the spikes, they soon realized. They thought a bit more, before finally settling on the only way out of this. They had the power to do so. They might as well use it.

Their hands clutched the ground, the giant steadying, getting their body ready for the jump. They caught a glimpse of the dead city guards, their chests penetrated by the sharp obejcts. They tried not to think about what would happen if they didn't make it.

Finally, they made a long leap through the air. Their claws barely caught the tiny ledge of a column positioned right in the middle of the spears beneath. There were still some Geo leftovers lying on it, but the giant didn't bother picking it up.

Instead, they made another long jump, their razor-sharp claws grasping the ledge, finally landing on the ground. The bench broke in the process, shattering into many pieces.

Lord Shade moved on, squashing themselves through the tight corridors. The basin was much quieter now, with the dead bugs actually being dead, their corpses laying on the ground.

At last, they saw a way down. The giant descended deeper, their eyes catching the glowing white of the tablet. It spoke to them, reminding them of what The Abyss was. They didn't need to be reminded of the many mistakes lying there.

Their hand crushed the tablet.

The behemoth tried to go through the entranceway, like through the hallways they went through before, but the roof fell down on them. The void being whimpered in surprise, but it didn't hurt then much. Slowly and carefully, they removed rocks from the back, one by one.

When they were fully clean and unstuck themselves, the Lord fell down into the pit, feeling of dread filling them as they descended deeper. They didn't like this place, at all. They hated visiting it. The giant landed on the ground full of shells, feeling almost sick.

Shades idly levitated nearby. They still didn't attack the Lord. Realizing, there was nothing interesting being presented to them, they shrinked in balls and descended back into the ground, full of their own bodies.

It didn't actually matter that much what kind of shell they picked, what shape, or what horns. But they grew familar to their own head, and so they tried searching for a shell that resembled their own. Digging through the heads, they finally found it, carefully picking it up.

The Shade Lord tried entering the vessel.

It didn't work.

Their eight eyes glared at the shell. Of course it wouldn't work. They knew they were too big, but they had to keep hoping. It was all for nothing. They threw the shell back to the remaining ones, cracks appearing on it in the process. There was no vessel big enough to contain the void Lord.

Unless..

Now, with the infection gone.. 

Perhaps, the Lord of Shades knew a vessel just big enough.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried to make it longer for you lovelies !! i hope you guys liked it anyway! i didn't expect this work to hit 50 kudos AND 500 views! thank you all so much!


	7. MAJOR UPDATE!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> author's note

sksk i'm not rewriting this thing anymore--

why?

it took me a few days of thinking and a wake up call to realize that it's better for me to finish this work as it is. it might be full of mistakes, sure, and i might not love it, but i'm still going to finish it. that's a much better outcome than rewriting this thing over and over again and never improve. 

can't have good things without te being bad first, eh?

anyways, i'm still not going to post for a while, but a new chapter is coming soon! updates might not be as quick as they used to be, but i'll try!

i'm leaving this here for the people that need this. even if it's just one person, i'm glad to help!

hope you're having a good day! thank you!!


	8. Tour of Hallownest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hollow Knight travels far. They are not happy to find their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heehoo im back!! made this chapter especially long as an apologize for my slight absence!

They jumped off the entrance to the Hot Springs, landing on the hard ground, legs almost giving out on them. The vessel wasn't in their prime form anymore, being locked up for so long sure did leave a toll on them. Although, resting in the springs did make them feel better.

The knight looked around, their body still recovering from the fall. Left or right? They knew their location, the Crossroads. There had to be way to the capital from here. Somewhere.

Hoping for the best, the vessel made their way to the right.

Not a minute later they tripped over something, falling down on their shell.

Ouch.

The knight helped themselves get up with their nail. Sparing a glance to the corpse laying near them, they mentally rolled their eyes. The dead bug was the cause of their fall.

Of course, now with Her and the infecion gone the kingdom is probably filled up with corpses. They had to be more careful.

The Hollow Knight continued on their travel, bending their back to fit into the small corridor. After a while, their gaze fell upon a ledge high up in the air. They stopped in their tracks, looking up. It wasn't really that high up, they could make that jump easily.

Taking a few steps back, the knight sprinted forward, feet disconnecting from the ground. Their hand almost grabbing the ledge--

Almost.

They fell flat onto the floor. If they kept doing just that, their shell was going to crack again.

Slowly getting up, hand stroking their head to soothe the pain, they returned to their position.

They glared at the ledge one last time, a sign staring right back at them. Walking away, they bent over to enter the hallway again. That is, untill a realization dawned upon them, their body quickly straightening up, horns hitting the ceiling.

The sign! Even if it was quite far away, the knight could still make out white buildings on it. They had to get on the ledge, it led to the City of Tears!

Running back, almost tripping over the small edge, they returned to the place. If they wanted to make that jump, they had to try harder.

Failing over and over again didn't scare them, they weren't about to give up when the city was handed right to them. The knight was sure that their shell was cracked now.

Finally, gathering their courage and what was left of their energy the knight tightened the grip on their weapon. They jumped up again, sticking their nail into the rocks. Hanging over the ledge, the vessel used all the strength left in them for their single arm to get them up.

They unstuck their nail, body collapsing onto the ground. No, this wasn't right, they couldn't rest now, they were so close. But.. it felt so good, they could really use a rest..

The inner struggle went on, until the knight finally rose up. They descended down into the ruins, legs barely moving forward. As they moved on, they couldn't not notice something.

Seafoam mushrooms grew out of the stones, increasing in quantity as the knight moved on. The hue of the area got much more bright and much more green, unlike the dark blues the vessel had seen a few minutes ago.

The hollowed being fell down, heavily landing on the ground. Acid hissed beneath them, as if warning the knight of it's presence.

This.. this didn't look like the city, they realized. But.. they followed the signs! The vessel stomped in anger, something they haven't felt in a while. Making their way down and trying not to trip over into the boiling water, they jumped down onto another ledge.

This one had a tight corridor leading to something, corpses accompanying it. The knight looked into the hallway, squinting their eyes only to see a hunched figure sitting over a faint light.

Realizing there was nothing useful left for them, the Hollow Knight descended deeper into the fog.

━━━━━━

She dashed through the dim lit crossroads, tossing her needle to boost herself ahead. Heading down, she stepped onto mushrooms, which let out spores in response. She couldn't fall behind, couldn't let them out of her sight.

So she kept on going.

━━━━━━

They stumbled upon a sealed gate, quickly climbing up to it. Was this the entrance? It's all chained up.. Probably to keep the infection out, the knight realized. They looked around, searching for a way to open it. Where was it? A button, a lever,  _anything,_ but there was nothing. It was shut closed and couldn't be budged.

The vessel tightened their death grip on the weapon, spun around from the entrance and sliced at a nearby mushroom. The latter quietly whimpered, letting the spores and the juice out. 

They had to go even  _deeper!_ If they had a voice they would have groaned. Their legs ached so much like they ran a marathon, and now they had to walk even more. So tiring.

The knight made their way deep into the fungal growth, the mist thickening with each step they took. Their nail dragged behind the vessel, cutting mushrooms open. 

They passed by a few pink mushrooms, contrasting with the calm green. Later, the Hollow Knight figured they had to bounce off of them. Of course, they failed most of the time, but the mushrooms did soften the fall down.

Finally, the knight landed near a big sign buried into the ground. Examining it, they made out a few words and His crown on it. Were they finally there? They headed into the way the sign was pointing. 

Thorns populated above them, absorbing most of the ceiling. The vessel stepped on the bridge, preventing them from falling into the burning acid. 

They looked up, noticing some sort of figure standing ahead. The form was so.. familiar. The more steps the knight made, the more their memory recollected. Reaching half of the bridge, a realization dawned upon them.

Was that..?

They quickened their pace, trotting to the mysterious figure. Upon reaching it, they were filled with happiness, they were so glad to see--

A statue. Oh.

No wonder he looked smaller than usual. And much more stiff.

Their shoulders slumped down, soundlessly sighing in disappointment. They really thought they would see Hegemol, after so long.

Their eyes caught a red crest positioned in the statue's hands. The knight haven't paid it much mind.

They couldn't afford to feel upset now, they were finally at their destination, after all! Replacing the feeling of sorrow, their chest filled with excitement. The vessel quickly turned around, running as fast as they can and bumping into something. 

Ow. Their poor shell. 

The Hollow Knight looked up from the ground, a gate before them.

A sealed gate. 

All the pain was gone. All the sorrow, all the happiness. It was all gone and replaced with frustration. How could this be closed?! There-- There was--

They quickly glanced back at the statue, specifically at the crest in their hands. Quickly getting up, they walked up to Hegemol. Clawing the crest out, they looked back at the gate.

It was still sealed.

The vessel put the crest back to it's original place, glancing at the gate.

They waited.

Nothing happened.

It was still sealed. 

They collapsed on their knees, nail scattering to the floor. The knight held their head down, emotions, feelings flowing right into their shell.

They felt so tired, so worn out. Anger, sadness, frustration. Pain. Oh, how they were not used to feeling so much at once. It hurt. Hurt outside, inside,  _everywhere._

Why wasn't the gate opening? 

If only He was here.

He would've thought of something now, done something. His loyal servants would fix everything. His knights would make sure that the gate is actually fixed. 

Oh, how it all was so easy back then. So simple. With Him. 

He was always there for them. If they ever walked on the wrong path, He would have guided them back to the right one. He would've figured a way out of any situation. 

He was always there. Always.

Not anymore.

They were so lost now. No guide, no help. 

Where was He, when they needed Him the most?

━━━━━━

She stood idly near the entrance, watching her sibling hurting. She wanted to be there for them, wanted to  _help,_ but she knew that was wrong. They didn't want to see her, didn't want her help.

She would only make things worse. The vessel was already suffering without her interfering. She had to wait.

And so, she waited. Waited, until the vessel stood up, picking up their weapon and heading back. 

Good. She was getting sick from the fungal smell already.

━━━━━━ 

They backtracked, holding their head down. They had to try harder, had to find Him.

They climbed back up to the crossroads, jumping down from ledges. They went straight ahead, in hopes of finding something, anything. 

What were they going to do when they found Him? Huh. They haven't thought much about that. He would probably be upset with them. Cast them aside.

They jumped off a rocky edge, heading left. Slowly, the natural stones turned into statues, metal floors, architecture. They stopped.

Where were they? Still in the crossroads?

They looked up, a giant lift staring right back at them. That had to be a path to the City, right? The capital was right beneath the area.

What if it didn't?

They quickly dismissed the thought, amused at themselves. What were crossroads for if they didn't even lead to the capital? What other choice did they have, anyway?

Slowly walking in, they pulled on the lever right in the middle. The elevator rustily took off, descending into the dark pit. 

Oh, were they excited to get to the City! Although, they weren't supposed to, the knight sill enjoyed being there. The rain never really bothered them, actually it made them feel better. They also enjoyed walking between the beautifully built, large structures. With Him.

The lift heavily got to the bottom, getting the knight out of their thoughts. They noticed a bunch of fugus growing over a gate in their peripheral vision. The feeling of frustration still lingered, but the vessel chose to ignore it, heading onward.

Their excitement grew with every step, and so did their speed. They ran out of the building, almost tripping over the ledge.

Where was the rain? Why was it so quiet?

They jumped from one platform to another, their tiredness long forgotten. Finally, they reached the bottom, sensing the rain falling on their shell.

They felt ecstatic. They absolutely loved being in the City of Tears, they would've lived here if they could! They also visited the Blue Lake once, and they were mesmerized by the sight.

Having a slight bounce to their step, they kept on going. They felt like dancing, running around and just enjoying every second of being in the capital. They felt like a child again, everything was so new and refreshing to them now! 

They passed by a statue, not paying much mind to it. They spared a glance to the structure, moving on with their journey.

They stopped.

Taking a few steps back, they stood right in front of the statue, looking up.

It was.. them.

The statue mirrored their looks, yes, but it wasn't really them.

It was the knight in their prime, followers looking up at them in awe. The nail pointed down at a plaque, telling of their title.

The vessel kept staring at the statue, examining it, only then they took thier weapon off their back. They tried positioning themselves just like the statue.

Straight posture, confidence, another arm.

Something the Hollow Knight was robbed of, didn't have anymore. They were different now.

"Goddamn husks!" a grumpy voice called out, "Blocking the path to the city like they own it."

The knight winced, nail almost falling out of their grip. Shoulders stiffening, they looked to their left. They haven't expected to see a bug, still living here, still alive.

"Bet the whole place is flooded with-" the bug started speaking, before looking up and stopping himself.

The bug glared at the vessel. They stared back. 

"Oh," Lemm breathed out, staring at the knight wide-eyed. "Uh."

What are they going to do? They haven't communicated with any bug for a long time. 

The bearded bug's eyes glanced up at the statue and then back at the knight in astonishment. It seemed like he was about to say something.

Oh no. They had to do something.

The vessel slowly backed away, putting the nail on their back.

"Wait," Lemm reached out an arm, his raspy voice calling out to the Hollow Knight.

They ran off.

" _Hold on,_ " he cried out, before realizing it was already too late. Lemm glanced back up at the statue.

"When have I started seeing double?" the bug complained, before heading back to the store.

━━━━━━

She flew past the buildings using her needle, her thread slowly being ruined by the rain. Sure, the city might be beautiful, but the rain was annoying. It didn't have any benefit, except making everything built.

She followed the knight into a fancy-red building, noticing them suddenly disappearing.

Huh? Where did they go?

No, she couldn't lose them out of sight now. She jumped down the ledge, looking around, before noticing a way down. A sign stared at her, a white structure painted over a blue background.

Of course they went there.

The Ancient Basin.

 ━━━━━━

They could basically  _see_ the dark fog, black particles forming out of it. The knight jumped down the wooden platforms, trying not to fall onto the spikes. They had expected to see a lift leading down, but they were met with nothing. 

The fog thickened, sucking out all the colors around the vessel. They landed near a broken structure, it's pieces scattered around the ground.

So that's where the lift went, huh.

They moved on, the stilling quietness being replaced by hisses. Strange, they couldn't see any creatures nearby.

They looked down the pit, spikes moving, alive, hissing and biting at eachother. It sent chills down their spine.

Swallowing a lump in their throat, the knight looked back up, noticing the columns leading ahead. They weren't too far away from eachother, so it wasn't that much of a challenge jumping from one to another. That is, until the ground shook and the columns started collapsing.

What's happening? An earthquake? Here? Right now?!

The knight jumped as quick as they could, panic taking over their mind. They made one last jump, almost falling, but they stuck their weapon into the ground. They already used this trick before, so it wasn't that complicated.

But they were still scared. 

They helped themselves up on the edge, muscles twitching with anxiety. They haven't felt that scared since entering the temple.

Taking a silent breath in, the vessel moved on, descending into a fancy entranceway. They were met with a tram standing idly. They jumped into another metallic entrance, falling down into the pit.

They heavily landed, legs hurting from the weight. Collapsing on their knees, they took a quick rest to cease the aching. They couldn't rest for long, they were almost home.

Almost at the palace. Palace, they meant. Yes. 

The knight got up, their abused body begging for them to stop, but they didn't listen. They got to the next sign, telling them to climb up. And so they did. 

They were finally there. 

All pain forgotten, the vessel sprinted forward. They were finally there! They were about to see the palace, see Him! 

They tripped over a large piece, but quickly got up. 

Huh? What was that?

They looked back at the reason of them tripping. They looked around, similar large pieces scattered around the palace grounds.

The palace.. Where.. Was it?

The entrance was buried deep, a dead Kingsmould guarding it. It was no more pale white, but grey, much more dirty. 

What.. Happened? Where..? 

No.. He.. He couldn't... Could he?

She can't be right.. She lied..! Didn't she? 

He could have never done something like that. Something bad happened, and it wasn't His fault. They knew it wasn't.

Doubts overwhelmed the vessel. What if Hornet wasn't lying? She sounded so sure, so right..

They looked up at the remains of their home. His palace, His guards, His knights, His servants..

Him...

It was all..  _gone._

All that was left of His legacy was them, the Hollow Knight.

━━━━━━

"So you found it," Hornet spoke, carefully walking up to the vessel, "I am not going to apologize for what I said. It was the truth."

She glanced up at the nail in her sibling's hand, noticing the death grip they had on it.

"Now, that you have seen that truth with your own two eyes," she walked closer, her steps echoing around the big area, before abruptly stopping.

The dead silence continued, tension growing with each second. Their body slightly shook.

"Sibling, I wont ask too much of you," her voice was soft, "only to head back to a nearby Hot Spring with me. Please," her voice wasn't demanding, it was a suggestion.

She her hand for the knight to take it.

They didn't.

Instead, Hornet had to jump away from the swing of their nail.

 

**Author's Note:**

> and again, this is my first fic so i accept criticism! note, that english isn't my first language! hope you enjoyed <3


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